Avacraft is focused on using the best science and techniques available to make great food. Our dedication to stainless-steel technology rests on the proven safety and superiority of steel and longevity of modern stainless-steel cookware over older technologies. A common question in home kitchens is deciding which type of cookware to use, Cast Iron vs Stainless Steel Cookware!
Cast Iron vs Stainless Steel Cookware
Cast Iron — Pros
It’s been around a long time, and is a popular and proven technology. It conducts heat well; it’s durable and versatile — working with equal effectiveness on stovetop, in the oven or right on a campfire — and has proven itself in countless movies to be an excellent home defense weapon!
Once iron is hot, it stays hot — very important when searing meat — and keeps food warm by itself. It’s tough enough to use any type utensils — you’d have to work hard to scratch it. Cast iron isn’t inexpensive and can last for generations with proper care.
Cast iron doesn’t leach chemicals (there aren’t any), but it can leach some iron into your food. With iron deficiencies very common (especially in women), cooking food (particularly acidic foods like tomatoes or dishes with lemon juice) can add increased iron content to your diet.
Cast Iron — Cons
Proper seasoning (adding a new layer of oil after each use) is essential. Cycling regularly through the process (rubbing, heating and cooling) breaks down the oil, bonds it to the metal surface and creates a near-perfect cooking surface. However, if you don’t take the time to clean and season it properly after every use, your pans may pit or rust.
Iron reacts to air and other materials, which can ruin the pan or mix the flavors of tonight’s skillet with last week’s cobbler, if you’re not careful. It may also cause discoloring when mixed with highly-acidic or highly-alkaline foods. Cast iron is also dense; the larger pans, in particular, can make for quite a kitchen workout, if you’re planning a family feast.
Stainless Steel — Pros
Stainless-steel cookware comes in a variety of quality levels and price points. Speaking of the good quality cookware sets, stainless resists rust and scratching or denting. It won’t react with foods (even high-acid dishes) and is durable enough for decades of use with little care. All varieties are dishwasher-safe and, if it doesn’t have a plastic handle, it’s oven safe. The highly-polished surface is very easy on the eyes.
Stainless Steel — Cons
Stainless is a pretty poor heat conductor by itself; good-quality sets use stainless-cladding over aluminum or copper, which solves that problem entirely. This adds to the cost but, given its versatility and longevity, you’ll probably get over your sticker shock fairly quickly. If you overcook your food, stainless can be hard to clean, you’ll need to soak and scrub a lot but that’s really only a problem if you’re an inattentive cook. Some people find good stainless-steel cookware heavy in the hand. Well, yeah, it’s the cheap stuff that’s lightweight — that’s one of the prime ways to tell the good stuff from the junk. Good stuff has heft!
The Avacraft Advantage
Transform your kitchen and unleash the chef within using kitchen products designed and meticulously tested to bring out the best in you. Our products have received hundreds of 5-star reviews, so contact us today and see what so many people are raving about. Don’t forget to register your Avacraft product for our lifetime warranty! Show your family how much you love them, not only by creating great meals, but creating great memories of the time you spend around the table together.